1. Field of the Invention
The present embodiments relate to wafer processing apparatus, and more particularly, apparatus, methods, and computer programs for processing a wafer in a wafer processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
The manufacturing of integrated circuits includes immersing silicon substrates (wafers) containing regions of doped silicon into chemically-reactive plasmas, where the submicron device features (e.g., transistors, capacitors, etc.) are etched onto the surface. Once the first layer is manufactured, several insulating (dielectric) layers are built on top of the first layer, where holes, also referred to as vias, and trenches are etched into the material for placement of the conducting interconnectors.
Current plasma processing systems used in semiconductor wafer fabrication rely on highly interdependent control parameters to control radical separation, radical flux, ion energy, and ion flux delivered to the wafer. For example, current plasma processing systems attempt to achieve necessary radical separation, radical flux, ion energy, and ion flux by controlling a single plasma generated in the presence of the wafer. Unfortunately, chemistry dissociation and radical formation are coupled to ion production and plasma density and often do not work in concert to achieve the desired plasma processing conditions.
Some semiconductor processing equipment may be used in a wide range of applications. However the requirements for each of the applications may vary substantially, and it may be difficult to accommodate all the applications in the same processing equipment without adequate controls to configure the wafer processing process (e.g., to control the plasma chemistry in the chamber). A lack of control on the ion energy in the chamber limits the control of the desired process chemistry. If controls are not adequate, non-uniform deposition may result with non-uniform etching on the wafer.
It is in this context that embodiments arise.